Wrench



March 2,1943. F L; AN; 2,312,425

WRENCH Filed Oct. 6, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A Home March 2, 1943.

F. LE P IAN E WRENCH Filed Oct. 6, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor I 2 Franil Zeizane Attoruev Patented Mar. 2, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WRENCH Frank LePiane, Roosevelt, N. Y.

Application October 6, 1941, Serial No. 413,845

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in wrenches, and the primary object of my invention is to provide a quick acting wrench of few and simple parts, and which is easy to manipulate to place the jaws in gripping relation to the work, and to interchange jaws of different contours suitable to particular types of work.

Another important object of my invention is to provide a wrench of the character indicated which involves a minimum of difiicultly fabricated metal, and is, therefore, relatively cheap to construct and conserves material.

A further important object of my invention is to provide a wrench of the character indicated which is unusually compact and rugged, and which has other tool functions besides those of a wrench.

Other important objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the appended drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the wrench showing the combined operating handle and screw driver in closed position, and with the jaws in relatively closely spaced relation.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the combined handle and screw driver in open position and with the jaws in relatively widely separated position.

Figure 3 is a left hand edge elevational view of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a right hand edge elevational view of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken through Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken through Figure 5 along the line B-B and. looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 2 along the line 11 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the movable aw.

Figure 9 is a side elevational view of a modified form of relatively stationary jaw.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the present device comprises an elongated substantially rectangular casing 5, of substantially rectangular cross section, which can be of relatively thin sheet metal without sacrifice of structural and functional strength, in view of its box section,

cross section and the close arrangement of the jaws within the casing to support its sides and prevent its collapse. The casing is open at one end as indicated by the numeral 6 but has a closed bottom I at its opposite end. Adjacent the closed end 1 is an interior filler block 8 which is spaced from the edge 9 of the casing to provide a chamber for the movable jaw retracting spring H] which is anchored as indicated by the numeral II to the closed bottom 1 and has its upper end connected at l2 to the lower end of the movable jaw. The upper end [3 of the block 8 is contoured to act as a conforming stop for the lower end of the relatively stationary but adjustable jaw. Transverse rivets l4 secure the block 8 in place in the casing. The casing edge wall l5 opposed to the casing edge wall 9 has an opening I6 intermediate its upper and lower ends to pass the ratchet dog I! into the casing, the said dog being mounted on a leaf spring which rises along the edge 15 of the casing and is secured in place by a screw I9 threaded into the block 8. The upper part of the spring I8 which carries the dog I! is outwardly bowed as indicated by the numeral 20. The dog I! constitutes the bight portion of a U-shaped member whose legs are slidably mounted in grooves on the front and back sides of the casing which are defined by transversely extending longitudinally-spaced lugs 22 and 23 projecting outwardly from the sides of the casing. A boss projects from the opposite sides of the said U-shaped element near its bight portion to be engaged by the fingers in deforming the spring l8 outwardly to withdraw the dog 11 from engagement with the ratchet teeth on the stationary jaw.

The jaws are of shapes which are contoured and sized to slide in edge to edge relation and bear against the sides of the casing 5 in mutually supporting relation and without unnecessary looseness. The shank 25 of the relatively stationary jaw which is generally designated 26, is rectangular in cross section and has the ratchet teeth 21 on the lower part of its outer edge, for cooperation with the ratchet dog I! already described. The lower end of the shank 21 is contoured as indicated by the numeral 28 to cooperate with the stop surfaces I3 on the upper part of the block 8. The outer edge of the shank 25 has a laterally extending jaw 29 which may have a rectangular plain working face 30 or a serrated or other contoured working face such as that indicated by the numeral 30' in Figure 9, in accordance with the work to be handled. To adjust the jaw 26 to a desired relatively stationary position in the casing 5 it is only necessary to push or pull on the bosses 24 to force the dog I! out of engagement with the teeth 21, and move the jaw 26 to the desired position accompanied by release of the dog I! t reengage the corresponding one of the ratchet teeth 21, whereupon the relatively stationary jaw is locked in its new position and cannot move in either direction! The movable jaw which is generally designated 3| has arectangularcross section sliankjz which bears against the inner surfaces of the sides of the casing 5 and against the adjacent edge of the shank of the jaw 26 and at the upper end of the shank 3| has a plain or other suitably shaped laterally projecting jaw 33 companion to the jaw l 30. If desired the companion jaws haye cooperating wire cutting formations 34.

The outer edge of the shank 32 of thejawBJ is substantially plain and straight except for an outwardly projecting lug 35 which acts as *the limit stop to engage either the upper or the lower end of the opening 36 formed inlthe wal19-of-the :casing to limitlongitudinal adjustmentofthe jaw 3!. The undersurface of the lug 35 -;also acts as an abutment, under which is a further indented surface 36, 'for operative engagement by the substantiallyplain working surface 31 .on

thelateralcam 38 on the head of the combined nperatinglever and screwdriver which isgenerally designated 39, the said head being concentrically pivoted :by! a bolt 40 to and between ears 4i projecting,outwardlyfrom the wall '9 of the casing alongside a portion-ofthe opening 3'6. The lever or operating handle 39 is outwardly tapering in formand provides a screw driver extremity ,42 lior use inturningscrews or studs with the casing 5 held in the hand in a manner of ,a

icorkscrewhandle.

The spring lflnormally keepsthe movable jaw -3I in a retractedor depressed position, with the consequence that the normal position of the handle 39 is theextended one illustratedin-Figures 2 and 5 of thedrawings.

It isbelieved obvious that compressnig the handlev 39 toward the :casing 5 by means of the fingers, with the wrench eas ja whole held in the "hand, the effect of the movement of the handle will be to push the Jaw 31 toward the jaw 26 and cause the jaw elements 30 and 33 to approach eachother'in work gripping relation, or to cause the elements 30 and 33 :to approach each other until the wire cutting formations 34 come into cooperative action and iiegseal a qnsos s sar x en in -i s z one edge of the casing at ,pppo site sidesthat the jaws will be held in the desired operative positions as long as the handle 39 is held' in the contracted position, and then with the jaws properly adjusted relative to each other and to the work, the clamping action on the Work may be determined by the amount of compression of the handle 39. As soon as the handle 39 is released the spring l0 operates to swing the handle to the open inoperative position and withdlaw, tlie .jaw 3| frogn the work and away from the jawiifi. V

A bail retainer 42 pivoted on the opposite sides of the lower part of the casing 5 as indicated by the numeral 43 may be swung into the position ,iillustrated in Figures 1 and 3 to embrace the outerend of the handle 39 in the compressed position of the handle, when the Wrench is not in having fiat shanks extending into said open end of the casing and relatively slidable in edgertoedge engaging relation therein inwardly and outwardly of said open ,end, respectively, into differ ent positions, vFi J JfUJ means ,for releasably holding oneshank in difier ei fi positions, a spring in said casing having its ends fastened to {the inner end of the othershank and to thelo lqsed and 9 t l in iss e s 111,1 the-gin of :mov mea 9 i he shaii end-. ens n i sa othe s an a a ns v wa sl di g a i means-to slide-said other sl ank o tv dl position to said spring comprising a lug on said other shank extend; gunto -tne ;slot

:in a w eas o -i esi g'iiu b' w th s ot, a niv t dw e weenWil is a han e an i adie sh uld ann u lsa dswt i t warming en a emen with 54 

